A critical discussion on the roles of institutions on ports’ adaptation to the impacts posed by climate change

Abstract

Ports are increasingly vulnerable to the negative impacts posed by climate change, and thus port stakeholders have recently been engaged in different adaptation efforts. However, they find it difficult, if not impossible, to move up to the ‘next level’—often staying in the embryonic stage of knowledge sharing and exploration rather than actual planning and implementation of adaptation strategies and measures, and institutions play a significant role on such stagnancy. Understanding such, the article critically reviews the impacts of institutions on the process of climate adaptation planning. It specifically focuses on how institutional embeddedness acts as a significant barrier that hinders ports in progressing through the climate adaptation process. Also, it offers constructive insight on how the institutional structure of planning should be transformed so as to overcome such barriers.